By Amy Hammer, CEO & Co-Founder of Metro Detroit Doula Services
After having a fabulous doula for her own birth over 5 years ago, Amy Hammer decided to join her gifts of compassion and service with her love for families and become a business owner & doula herself. Amy and Andrea’s collaboration together has been a complete blessing. Together they support families, support each other, and laugh a lot! Amy is certified with ProDoula as a Labor Doula and a Postpartum Placenta Specialist, she is also pre-certified as a Postpartum & Infant Care Doula.
Tell us about your family. “I’m happily married over 14 years to a super tall 6’8″ husband who I grew up 4 miles away from most of my life and never even knew it, attending rival high schools. We have a daughter & son who are growing like weeds. Our animals include a 16 year old grandma grey tabby cat & a black and white Shih-tzu-mix puppy who is exactly that… a puppy!”
What do you love about being a doula? “I love helping! I love that my work assists families in enjoying their biggest life moments & helping them realize their dreams. I was born to help & care for others, it feels so completely natural to me.”
“Having a Doula was fantastic. I will recommend her to all of my pregnant friends! I can’t believe the patience and nurturing spirit it must take to do this job. I can’t imagine how my labor would have gone without her there – it would NOT have been the same at all.” – Labor Doula Client
What are your favorite resources for expecting parents/new families? “Taking Charge of Your Fertility, Business of Being Born, Birth Without Fear, Active Labor by Janet Blaskas, Natural Hospital Birth by Cynthia Gabriel, Nursing Mother’s Companion, Happiest Baby on the Block, and Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. The list could go on…”
What are you reading now? “A bunch 🙂 Breastfeeding Made Simple by Mohrbacher & Kendall-Tackett for my Postpartum and Infant Care Doula Certification, Chase by Jennie Allen for my Lifegroup, The 5 Love Languages by Chapman for my marriage health, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Kondo for my sanity, and Leadership Promises for Everyday by Maxwell for my volunteer work and business! Phew!”
What is your philosophy for parenting & supporting women and their families through their postpartum transition? “See a need, fill a need and I have faith in you! Transitioning to family is hard work and everyone can benefit from an extra set of hands. The type of hands needed can change on the daily, but ultimately our goal is for you to feel rested and cared for so that when our shift comes to a close you can enjoy your family & relax. Our families know what they need and have great intuition of their baby’s needs; it is my job to support this, encourage where needed, and advise when asked.”
“You are doing better than you think, you are enough, and you know your child best!” – Amy Hammer
What are your favorites? “Favorite show right now: Call the Midwife on Netflix; Favorite vacation: somewhere warm, Europe, or tent camping in Michigan; Favorite food: Mexican & Mediterranean; Favorite hobby: Yoga.”
On a day off Amy loves to sleep in and spend quality time playing with her family.
If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why? “This is hard because teleporting would be ah-mazing! But, super speed task master with multiple arms would have to be it at the moment, so that I could do all the things I need and also be able to spend time laughing with my family.”
“I didn’t know until recently that I was ‘allowed’ to rest and have consistent help. We hoped that by hiring doulas for postpartum that we wouldn’t feel as overwhelmed as we had before. To boot, she offered emotional support, a listening ear, company, laughs, warmth to my children – definitely met and exceeded my expectations! She and Andrea were a valuable and priceless part of postpartum!” – Postpartum and Infant Care Doula Client
What is your favorite song to karaoke? “Nothings Gonna Stop Us Now by Starship… it’s become our MDDS theme song. ♥”
Contact Metro Detroit Doula Services today and have Amy complete your dream team!
586-960-5993
info@metrodetroitdoulaservices.com